With regard to present medical practice, there occur a variety of reasons necessitating the dilating of the human female cervix. As a result, there exists in the prior art a variety of means to accomplish same, said means, however, having a variety of drawbacks, both medically, and physically, said prior art devices not addressing themselves to the various advantages inherent in the present invention.
More particularly, it has been the common practice in the prior art in seeking to dilate the human cervix to insert through the cervix opening through a series of insertions, devices of increasing degrees of diameter as one means to achieve said dilation. Additionally, the prior art has also taught the utilization of an absorbent material that is initially inserted into the cervic and upon same absorbing body liquid, or otherwise, it expands, thus dilating the cervix. Furthermore, the prior art has also taught as another means to achieve dilation of the cervix the utilization of inflatable devices, same, however, having various drawbacks as to their operation, all of which are ovrecome by the present invention.
In conjunction with the above, and upon review of the prior art to date, the following patents are representative of the prior art techniques referred to above, to wit, a patent issued to Robert Irvin Leininger, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,900,033, entitled DILATOR FOR CERVICAL CANAL; a patent issued to Richard F. Kronser, U.S. Pat. No. 4,089,337, entitled UTERINE CATHETER AND MANIPULATOR WITH INFLATABLE SEAL; and a patent issued to Stanley B. Levy, U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,421, entitled BALLOON AND MANUFACTURE THEREOF.
Although prior art devices and techniques existed, the present invention relates to a novel design of a device utilized as a dilator regarding various body cavities, and in particular, the human cervix, said novel design achieving certain advantages over said prior art devices which are neither taught nor disclosed by said prior art.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to create a novel design for a device utilized as a dilator regarding various body cavities that overcomes the various problems and disadvantages inherent in the prior art devices to date.
It is another object of the present invention to create a novel design for a device utilized as a dilator regarding various body cavities wherein a means is provided to achieve the selective dilating of the human cervix without causing pain nor discomfort to a patient.
It is another object of the present invention to create a novel design for a device utilized as a dilator regarding various body cavities wherein there is achieved the ability to selectively dilated the human cervix by utilization of a device that is not subject to being dislodged inadvertently from the cervix of a patient while the dilating procedure utilizing said device is being accomplished.
It is another object of the present invention to create a novel design for a device utilized as a dilator regarding various body cavities wherein there is achieved the ability by utilization of the device separation of the walls of the uterine cavity without the necessity of utilizing injected liquids and/or gases to achieve same thereby avoiding the adverse effects associated therewith.
It is another object of the present invention to create a novel design for a device utilized as a dilator regarding various body cavities wherein there is the ability to have medical implements inserted through the device for application within the uterine cavity.
It is another object of the present invention to create a novel design for a device utilized as a dilator regarding various body cavities wherein utilization of said device decreases pain and morbidity to the cervix and surrounding body tissue when said device is utilized in accordance with the invention.
It is another object of the present invention to create a novel design for a device utilized as a dilator regarding various body cavities wherein there is achieved the ability to provide a means to inject into the uterine cavity a foreign substance, be it a liquid or a solid, in accordance with prescribed medical treatment.
It is another object of the present invention to create a novel design for a device utilized as a dilator regarding various body cavities wherein said design seeks to achieve an efficient device whose structural integrity is such as to provide an item capable of utilization within the medical field that is easily sterilized, compact in design and whose operation is simple and fool proof.
The objects and advantages of the invention are set forth in part herein and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice of the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the intrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.
The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.